Seductive Fragrance
by xTamashii
Summary: Amu just wants to be a normal sixteen-year-old. However, thanks to her...scent, that won't ever happen. It all comes down to this: which house pet would she rather keep, a cat or a dog? -AmuxIkuto; slight TadasexAmu-
1. Just Not Normal

A new story! This idea kept nagging and bothering me and it wouldn't go away! D:

So, thus, here we are.

It's AU. And a bit of fantasy. There's a love triangle, but mostly Amuto. And Tadase might seem OOC, but I need him to play this role in this story. Also, he is a dog lover, I guess it fits. So please read and I hope you'll enjoy this!

Also, despite the title, this isn't going to be terribly sexual. XD

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**Seductive Fragrance**

_x-chapter one-x_

Just Not Normal

Two houses. Two mighty, grand buildings that constantly earned an 'ooh' or an 'ahh' from passerby. However, no one dared approach any closer than the wrought-iron gate that encased either. There was a mysterious, almost menacing aura cloaking both that just gave one the feeling that they ought to stay away, for the sake of their own safety.

The two enormous homes couldn't be more alike and more different at the same time. One seemed to be modeled after an old-fashioned Victorian-style home, with darker shingles, paint, and an elegant structure. The other appeared to be of a more modern design, and went for the lighter colors such as beige and white, with soft gray shingles and a lovely, intricate front.

To those on the outside, it seemed almost as if the homes were competing, for both were equal in grandeur and splendor, and no other home could compete with the two.

The homes were often popular tourist attractions; anyone and everyone wanted to photograph the wonderful buildings.

However, no one ever dared go inside, no one. But just as no one had ever gone inside, no one had ever come out, or at least, no one had ever _seen_ anyone go out.

The wrought iron gates were always securely locked. There was never even a gardener seen, even though the lawn was in perfect condition. The houses still looked brand new, even though the one who provided maintenance for them was never seen.

Thus, stories erupted like wildfire and out of fear, no one dared go within a good several feet of the beautiful gates.

That was the way the ever elusive occupants preferred it. Of course, if the secrets of the residents in both homes ever got out...their secrecy would never again exist.

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He drummed his fingers on the surface of the sleek, dark desk in a speedy staccato. As usual, their massive, dark home was silent as the grave. It was always this way when the others were out. How they ever managed to get past the tourists was beyond him.

Standing up and stretching, he ran a hand through already messy dark blue hair and strode across the room to the couch, where he lay down on it in a very catlike fashion.

_Catlike indeed_, he mused, rolling over on his back. _The irony is just hilarious._

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Humming a tune to himself as he buttoned up the final button on his white shirt, he strode out of the room and frowned a little. _Alone again._

He quickly glanced at his reflection in the mirror and neatened a blond hair that was out of place. His family always expected him to be meticulously tidy and neat.

He cracked a rear window open when he reached one, inhaling the smell of cool, fresh air with his sharp sense of smell. Feeling somewhat elated, he strode cheerfully across the empty room, smiling a little to himself. The tourists were crowding as usual, but just as much as they always had.

_'They're like hungry dogs.'_ His father had once joked, and they had all laughed.

But his mother had added, _'No more dog-like than we are, though.'_

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She swayed tiredly from side to side in her seat, biting on the pencil eraser. God, could school seriously get any more boring? Apparently it really could! Finals were coming up, and school was even more of a drag lately than ever. The teachers were getting their ties all in a knot because if the students didn't score high enough they would all be fired. As if the principle would really fire them over that. Some people were just way too easily motivated by such bluffs.

Idly, she stared out the window she luckily sat right next to. From here, she had a great view of _those_ houses. Every day, more people would flood to their completely not-so-special and completely average town and make it look like some kind of zoo. It was ridiculous how some people obsessed over those houses. Obviously they weren't that mysterious. The fact that both were still standing proved that someone was paying the rent.

She was the first out of her seat as the bell rang, haphazardly throwing all her belongings into her bag without thinking twice about it. Her pink hair flying, she dashed out of the classroom as quickly as her feet could carry her, a small smile replacing her look of utter boredom as she reached a place where two others were standing. A boy that could have easily been mistaken for a girl, and his significant other, a small girl with wavy, golden hair.

"Sorry I'm late you guys." She gasped, breathless. It was a long way from her sixth period to where they met, so she was usually late.

"Ah, Amu. It's all right." The boy nodded, smiling at her. The smaller girl just shrugged indifferently, although she probably forgave her as well.

"Thanks Nagihiko." She smiled in return; it was too difficult to not smile at the guy.

"Nagihiko, Amu. Let's go. We'll miss it." The girl spoke in her almost childish sounding voice.

"We won't miss it Rima," said Amu, "we still have twenty minutes left."

"Fine. Whatever. For your sake you had better hope so."

"Ehehe. Right, of course." Oh she hoped now that they would make it.

Nagihiko broke in, much to Amu's relief. "Well, shall we go then?"

The two girls nodded and followed his lead as he walked. The three friends talked amongst themselves, but Amu paused as they walked by the houses, where crowds of tourists were gathering. Was it just her, or did something seem off about those houses today...?

"Amu?" She quickly snapped out of it and caught up to the two, who were a good few feet ahead of her.

"Sorry. Just spacing out."

"Amu, we don't want to be late." Rima said insistently, he eyes flashing.

Amu smiled nervously. "O-of course we don't Rima, of course we don't."

What they were intending to see was a new movie, a comedy that Rima had been dying to see for a long time. And neither Amu nor Nagihiko did not want to stop her from seeing it, just as they had not choice when dragged along. Poor Nagihiko had even less of a choice; he was dragged to all of Rima's comedy shows. He hardly seemed to mind though, which was probably why they had been together for so long. It was pretty much his duty as a boyfriend anyway.

The three talked again as they walked to the theater. The sun shone warmly upon them, and it was a lovely autumn Friday. For some reason, Amu felt like she was in an inexplicably good mood today. Perhaps it was the fact that there was no school to worry about over the next few days, or the fact that her sixteenth birthday was fast approaching. Either way, she felt almost cheerful as she and her two good friends reached the theater, paid for tickets, and sat down comfortably inside.

However, there was one strange feeling Amu could not shake...

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Before he knew it, he was being rudely awoken. Ugh. And he had planned to sleep all day, too.

"Ikuto! Wake up! We're going!" Someone hissed in an urgent whisper.

He cracked an eye open and immediately identified the person as his sister. Groaning, he sat up and stretched, blinking sleepily. "What is it, Utau?"

"We're holding a meeting." She said in a hushed voice, her eyes cast downward. "With _that_ family. Father, Mother, and the others are already there. I came back to get you, because you have no choice but to be there."

He frowned, immediately awake as he stood up, brushing off his clothing. "Let's go."

Utau nodded seriously, and led the way outside. No tourists were ever around when the sun set. According to some stupid superstition, most believed the spirits of the dead came out at night. On occasion, there were a few stragglers who wanted to take a picture of 'the ghost' so they could show off and be famous. Needless to say...it never worked. They made sure of that.

It wasn't a terribly long walk to their usual meeting place; it was an underground room that lay exactly in between the two homes. It was considered the 'neutral' ground where no fighting or arguing was allowed. U

Utau wandered about the grass, pausing here and there, until she stopped over one spot in the grass and bent down, fumbling with something hidden in the blades.

Not long after, she opened a grassy, wooden door with crumbling steps that led downwards into an unknown abyss. It was rare that they held a meeting such as this. Ikuto sighed as he descended after his sister, closing the door over them as they proceeded in the darkness. However, darkness was never a problem for either of them; if anything, it suited them the best.

The reason that they had to have a 'neutral' ground so to speak was because of an age-old feud between the two families, a feud that ran deeper than blood...and species.

After several minutes, the staircase lead into a room lit with dim lanterns. The room resembled a dungeon, almost, with a circular, low ceiling and stone floors. In the center of the room, there was a wide desk, where sat a row of four people. Surrounding the room there were several desks where others were seated. They had all been talking until Ikuto had entered. They all fell silent immediately.

Each person in the room was different, but they all had one thing in common—each had ears and a tail. About half had the appendages of a dog; the other half, those of a cat. The cat-eared people were sending distrustful glares in the direction of the dog-eared people every few seconds or so, and the dog-eared people returned the favor.

This was who they really were. This was why they had to hide themselves from the public eye. Ikuto felt his ears and tail appear and saw the same change occur in his sister. They were required to show their 'true selves' for this meeting.

In the center of the room, there were two chairs seated just before the desk where the four people sat; two he recognized as his own parents, the other two as _that_ family's heads.

However, that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him was _who_ was seated in the chair before them. Narrowing his eyes, he took the seat next to him.

"Tadase." He said stiffly, eyes narrowing slightly. It was a rule to keep hostility to a minimum.

The one called Tadase nodded, his expression dark. "Ikuto."

The two spoke no more after this exchange, for the family heads spoke up.

"Everyone! Silence!" The cat-eared woman called out in a strong voice, her blond ears twitching in mild agitation. The room was silent at once, and her ears relaxed.

The four heads then next called out their names before starting the meeting, as was the custom.

"Souko Tsukiyomi, head of the feline family." The cat-eared woman spoke.

"Aruto Tsukiyomi, head of the feline family." A dark haired man at her right spoke next.

"Yui Hotori, head of the canine family." A dog-eared male spoke up.

"Mizue Hotori, head of the canine family." A bitter looking female seated next to him spoke.

"Those who have been called to the center, state your names." Commanded Souko, her violet eyes intense.

Ikuto sighed quietly before speaking. "Ikuto Tsukiyomi, heir of the feline family."

Tadase spoke next. "Tadase Hotori, heir of the canine family."

Aruto called out in his deep voice, "The meeting shall commence." His cold, sapphire-like eyes swept around the room. Not a single person in the room spoke, everyone from both families was completely silent and waited with bated breath. Ikuto saw Utau in the crowd, her gaze fixed on her father, her expression nearly as cold as his was.

"You have been called her because the heads have discussed that now is the time to get rid of this balance. We have decided that there should be one family to rule, and one alone. We have decided to use each of our heirs to accomplish this." Yui said, his voice firm.

Still no one spoke or moved, all eyes fixed upon the family heads and the heirs seated before them.

"It would seem that a certain girl has appeared," Souko said flatly, "and that she will determine which heir's family will control."

"One heir must make the girl his mate in order to be victorious. She is unique because she has the ability to bear our kind and survive easily. Also, her scent is different from any other smell belonging to a human. It is sweeter, stronger, and alluring. You will be able to identify her through her scent. Whichever heir is able to woo her first will win their family all control over all lands except for that which their house stands upon." Aruto's voice was still cold as ice.

There was again muttering as the family members spoke amongst themselves in evident surprise. Utau clearly wasn't expecting this any more than the rest of the family was; when Ikuto glanced over to check her reaction, her mouth was slightly open and her eyes wide.

"Silence." Mizue spoke now, the frown still etched on her face.

Once again, they fell silent.

"Thus, you two will attend the local high school; my own son as an instructor, and the Hotori's son as a student. Do you both accept these condtions and swear, upon the dignity of your families, that you will carry out this deed to the best of your ability or risk banishment?"

"I swear." Ikuto and Tadase spoke in unison, not looking at each other.

"Then," Yui Hotori called out in a clear voice. "This meeting is adjourned."

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Amu stretched, yawning as she glanced up at the darkening sky. It was that late all ready?

"Bye, Amu."

"Goodbye, Amu."

"See ya, Nagihiko, Rima." She hefted her bag up over her shoulder and headed home, shoving her hands in her pockets. It was hard to believe that it was nearly her birthday. Time seemed to fly by so fast sometimes, so fast that it was scary. It felt like her fifteenth birthday had gone by in a heartbeat and now she would be sixteen in a weeks time. It was still hard to believe.

Sighing wearily as she recalled all the weekend homework she would be having, she unlocked the front door and walked in, flipping on the lights as she went. Her parents were rarely home; they were usually out on business trips, leaving her to fend for herself. That was fine, it was easier being alone. More peaceful and calming, somehow.

She hummed to herself as she dropped her schoolbag on the floor and proceeded to flop down on the couch and turned on the television. She watched what was on without any real interest, only vaguely realizing that she was watching the news. (Well, not watching, not really.)

Figuring that there wasn't anything interesting on, she was just about to turn it off when the over-excited voice of a screeching female reporter caught her attention.

"I-it would seem that the ever elusive inhabitants of the homes have come out! From what it looks like, two young men have exited the homes."

Curious, Amu sat up, furrowing her eyebrows as she watched with avid interest now. Despite the fact that she never understood why on Earth people were so obsessed with the houses, it was truly interesting and astonishing news to hear that someone had actually exited it. That had never happened, at least, not that anyone had even seen.

She watched the footage; it wasn't very good, probably from an unreliable source. All the same, it was curious indeed. Two figures, one from each house, slipped out the gates at the same exact time and strode across the fields before taking cover behind the small forest that was nearby.

After this newsflash, a commercial came on, thus signaling that there probably wasn't going to be anything more of interest after this.

Still intrigued, she turned off the TV and leaned back against the couch, running an hand through her pink hair, golden eyes lost in thought.

Shaking her head she stood, walking over to the kitchen to get herself something to eat; the food at the theater hadn't exactly been satisfying.

She idly popped some bread into the toaster and poured herself a glass of milk as she stared boredly at the wall across the room.

"Ah!" She smiled a little to herself as she thought of something that might help to put her in a better mood. "Chocolate milk, of course."

Sighing, she quickly drank the milk and ate her toast before donning her jacket and sneakers before heading out and locking the door behind her. Patting the wallet in her jeans pocket, she quickly dashed to the market, hoping it wasn't closed. Chocolate milk sounded so good right now...

She jogged quickly, breathing steadily as she had nothing more than the thought of sweet, creamy chocolate milk on her mind. She felt like such a glutton, how horrible. At the moment, she didn't care; all she wanted was the milk.

After about ten minutes of jogging she stopped to catch her breath, bending over and grasping her knees as she panted breathlessly. She spared a quick glance at her cellphone; it was about 7:15 now, which explained the darkness.

She leaned back against a lamppost, thinking quietly to herself. Next week was her birthday, she still couldn't believe it. All she hoped was that her parents would be home in time for it.

Shaking her head, she began to jog again, eager for the treat she had been so craving. She dashed past the two homes that were on either side of her, too preoccupied to spare a second glance.

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Ikuto stretched out lazily on the grass, the words of his parents as well as Tadase's echoing in his ears. He had to seduce a girl? And get her pregnant in order to gain 'honor' for his family or whatever? Somehow, that plot seemed ridiculous and just not worth it.

Yawning, he rolled over on his back, wishing that he could head home but not wanting to at the same time. His mother would just pester him more about finding the girl. Besides, she had already told him enough; he didn't want to do it. So, he wouldn't.

He inhaled deeply through his nose, feeling worn out, but stopped. That smell. What was that smell? He inhaled again, a scent so sweet that it made him sit up, cat ears and tail out and he didn't even remember making them visible. Animal instincts were taking over; he _must_ find that smell.

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He stood just upon his balcony, staring off into the night sky.

What the heads asked of them was absolute. Neither could refuse such an order. Tadase sighed. He wasn't interested in the least at the thought of wooing a girl. He never even really wanted a girlfriend, he was content with life the way it was. The fact that his own parents had decided and agreed to this as well was unnerving.

He sighed, breathing in the crisp, fall air. However, he smelled something on the wind that nearly made him want to leap off the balcony. Thankfully, he caught himself and was dashing out his room and down the stairs, his canine ears twitching atop his head. He had never smelled a thing like that before. He wanted to find it.

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Amu strode on homeward cheerily, a bottle of chocolate milk in one hand, and a bag containing to more in the other. She casually took a drink, her mood taking a turn for the better.

Too bad she didn't notice the fact that she was being followed...

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Well, my new story! Yay! I'm not going to focus on this one so much though, until I finish Stolen. I'll update between the Stolen updates, but don't expect it weekly until Stolen's out of the way.

Please let me know if you liked this! It's extremely important. I won't continue if not enough people like it, so please review and give me your honest opinions.


	2. She's Mine

Well. I wanted to write this...now that Stolen's done and all. That and it's lots of fun to write XD So sorry for updating late, but I really wasn't planning on doing this 'til Stolen was done. And Stolen got held up so...this did too :x Anyway.

I'll try to make things as...erm...sexy as possible. Since the title makes it sound like it's supposed to be like, well, extremely sexy, I'll do my best. Though I'm bad with romance, I don't know if I'm as bad with sexy. But we'll see I guess. XD

So I have a lot in store for poor, poor Amu. (Though I'm sure any Ikuto fangirl would kill to be in her shoes. Like me.)

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**Seductive Fragrance**

_x-chapter two-x_

She's Mine

Amu sidled along idly as she drank her chocolate milk. Ah, how great. She had the weekend to look forward too, as well as her sixteenth birthday coming up. She could even afford to be more leisurely than usual, thanks to the lack of weekend homework.

Though she was a little tired, Amu was in a good mood. She felt certain that practically nothing could ruin that. Even if her parents didn't return in time for her birthday, she could still celebrate it with Nagihiko and Rima. The two would surely be more than happy to celebrate with her.

She didn't bother to dash home now; after all, what was the rush? She frowned to herself as she drank her milk. Hm. She had almost finished the first bottle.

She felt almost optimistic as she walked. Surely her sixteenth birthday would bring something exciting into her average life. Surely _something_ good would happen. She hoped so.

With a little sigh, she finished off her first bottle of milk and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

Yep. For now, she would hope for a change.

Unfortunately for her, a change would be coming all too soon.

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His tail flicked back and forth in the darkness, his eyes glowing as he watched a lone girl stride down the sidewalk. Mmm. So that mouthwatering scent had to be hers then. He barely had a hold on his human side at the moment; her scent was just so _seductive._

Silent like the cat he was, Ikuto padded across the street over to the side of the sidewalk she was on, staying a good distance behind her. His animal side made him feel like a hunter stalking his prey. However, the human side of him made him feel like a molester stalking his next victim. At that thought he stopped with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

What the hell was he _doing? _He was stalking some kid. Yeah, because that probably looked really wonderful from someone else's perspective. A full grown man following some teenage girl. And the man had cat ears. Not a thing wrong with that picture, not at all.

He shook his head at himself and had been about to leave until the wind picked up, bringing her scent back in his direction. He got hit full in the fact and it was just _wonderful_ all over again. With no more restraint, he gracefully took off after her, his long legs propelling him easily forward. His catlike speed and grace helped as well.

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Tadase panted, breathless as he plopped down on his haunches in the grass that lined the sidewalk. The smell was there. He could certainly smell it. But now that it was fainter, he could regain control of his human instincts. This had to be the girl that Mother and Father had wanted him to...mate with. He was sure of it. Even so, something about it didn't seem right. How did his parents as well as the Tsukiyomi's heads know about this particular girl? She was his age, so it seemed. But why her of all people and no one else? He was uncertain.

His ear twitched as he thought, frowning. She was getting further away wasn't she? Or was that just the direction of the wind changing yet again?

The wind died down for a moment so that he almost lost the scent completely. Maybe it was best to head back. He rose, brushing the grass from his pants until the wind picked up suddenly again, bringing the scent back to him. His ears pricked, his tail lifted and he was off, bounding after that delicious scent that his animal instincts were telling him he _must_ have.

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Amu blinked, turning slightly. The wind had picked up for some reason. She blinked again, reaching up to brush loose strands of hair from her eyes. Oh well. It wasn't like she was going anywhere right now anyway, so it didn't matter how her hair looked. At this thought, she pulled her hair free from the ponytail holder she had used to tie it up with, letting the wind blow through it. It wasn't too cool out tonight either. Pretty nice. She smiled to herself a little. It was nice to take a walk on a night like this.

She twisted the lid off her second bottle, taking a quick drink before screwing the cap on tightly again and returning it to the bag. It was better to save it for home, so she could drink it while watching a movie or reading or something.

She swung her arms slightly as she walked, glancing over her shoulder every now and then. For some reason, she was overcome with the feeling that she was being followed. Now why would she be thinking that? She shrugged, brushing the strange paranoid feeling she was getting away. Probably nothing, probably nothing. Her neighborhood was a pretty safe one.

But again with that feeling. She turned again, feeling uneasy now. She sighed to herself, turning around once again. Yes! Almost home. Relieved, she picked up her pace slightly but was stopped since she was seized from behind.

She almost screamed but her mouth was covered by a hand. Her eyes wide, she flailed and struggled, but whoever was holding her was way stronger. So she just went limp, shaking slightly. Her bag with the bottle of chocolate milk in it had been dropped when she was grabbed.

"Relax, I'll let you go." Her captor said—or was it purred—before releasing her as he said. She whirled around, bending quickly to grab her bag and the other hand clutching her cellphone in her pocket—and then she just froze.

He was tall, and incredibly good looking. His dark, sapphire-like eyes were practically glowing in the dark and face...no words could describe it. He was clothed entirely in dark clothing; she couldn't pick out specific colors in this lighting. He had long legs, broad shoulders and a rather well-sculpted chest it seemed...the shirt he wore was rather close-fitting. Amu flushed lightly at the thought and forced her mind out of the gutter.

But his looks weren't the only stunning thing about him. Oh no. What really made Amu's jaw drop was the fact that he had _cat ears. _And a tail.

The ears in question certainly looked pretty real. The tail swished calmly to and fro behind him and he smirked slightly.

"You're a cute one." He looked her up and down, smirking even wider.

Amu narrowed her eyes. Who was this guy? The gall of him!

"And who are _you?" _He raised both eyebrows at her question.

"Me?" He asked, indicating to himself.

"Don't see anyone else around here." Amu said, scowling. He only smirked again.

"Your future lover."

Her face flushed at his comment. "Wha--?" Before she could say much more he was right in front of her, leaning his face close to hers. Her breathing quickened and she longed to take a step back, but her legs refused to move no matter how much she willed them to.

"Your breath smells like chocolate milk." He smirked again. "It smells pretty good, if I don't say so myself. Not as good as you smell though."

Amu was at a total loss for words. Some attractive older guy with animal parts had appeared out of nowhere and now appeared to be flirting with her? She hadn't been flirted with before, ever. She hadn't been even approached by someone who looked like he did.

She had finally found her tongue and was about to speak until another person appeared. The cat-man took a step back and his smirk turned haughty.

Amu stifled a gasp. He was so...cute! And pretty. He had pinkish-red eyes and soft blond hair that framed his face, a sharp contrast from the features of the other. He wasn't nearly as tall, and his face was far more youthful. He just seemed to...sparkle. However, like the cat-man, he had...ears and a tail too. Oh joy. But these were dog ears. So dog-boy then?

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi." His face contorted from contentedness to bitterness in seconds. The cat-man apparently named Ikuto only smirked. "I knew you'd show up for the prize eventually, little Hotori dog Tadase."

Amu could only look on, clueless. As if realizing she was there, the one called Tadase strode past Ikuto and stood before her, a look of complete sincere apology on his face. The expression made her blush. That, and he took her hand.

"Forgive us for appearing so suddenly before you, Miss..."

"Hinamori."

"Miss Hinamori. But it looks like we will be around you much more often after this. I will do my best to defend you from this pervert." With that, he inclined his head and kissed her hand.

Two weird people had shown up! Oh no. And just a week before her birthday. Oh no no no no no. She wanted to go home and pretend this was all just a really bad dream.

However, upon Tadase's action, Ikuto frowned, stepped between the two and wrapping his arms protectively around her from behind. "She's mine, dog." He hissed dangerously, his ears flattened against his head.

Tadase narrowed his eyes, obviously not agreeing. "I don't recall you winning her. She isn't yours, Tsukiyomi, so release her."

His eyes narrowed at Tadase's words. "I already told you, didn't I? _She's mine._ And I'm not changing my mind." At the back of his mind, Ikuto vaguely realized he was going along with his parents' desires after all.

"We shall see."

"Right."

The two scowled at each other. Okay, _what the hell?!? _Amu wanted to scream and hit something right now. Anything. What were these two even talking about? Two attractive animal-eared people wanted her...for what? They just showed up out of nowhere!

"Excuse me." She said irritably, shoving her way out of cat-man's grasp. "I'm going home now. She grabbed her bag again, turned around, and walked off.

The two behind her didn't do a thing to stop her.

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Amu was finally home, safe. Oh. My. _God._

She flopped down face first on the couch, groaning. What was that? A dream. Yes, yes, had to be a dream. It had to be. She opened her chocolate milk again, chugged it down, and headed upstairs for bed. Sleep sounded so wonderful right now. Oh my. Maybe if she slept it all off now it would be nothing more than a dream tomorrow.

She changed quickly and headed to the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. She curled up in bed, eyes wide open and unable to sleep right away. She pulled the covers up to her chin and gazed up at the ceiling, thinking about nothing in particular.

Eventually, before she could think too much about the day's events, she fell asleep instantly.

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When Amu awoke, the sun was shining in through her window. She blinked, grumbling slightly before stretching and yawning, staring around her room blearily.

Last night felt like nothing more than a dream now. Maybe it really was. She yawned again, getting up out of bed and shuffling down the stairs to get something to eat. According to the clock, it was a little past ten. That seemed like a good time to wake up. She sighed as she put a pop tart in the toaster and waited for it to heat up as she poured herself another glass of milk. What to do today? Well, she could probably get the mail for starters. She slipped on some shoes before heading outside to the mailbox, waving to a neighbor that had waved to her.

It was a nice morning, despite it being fall. Amu still felt a bit groggy but was mostly awake and felt well-rested.

She opened the mailbox, pulling out bills and things, junk mail, and one unmarked envelope. Confused, she scanned it before adding it to the small stack in her arms with a shrug. Maybe someone just slipped it in there by mistake. She could open it to find out, maybe it really was for her parents or something. She placed the letters on the counter after slipping off her shoes and sat down in a chair, examining the blank envelope. It was obvious whoever it was from knew where they lived, since it clearly hadn't gone through the post.

The slitted the enveloped and pulled out a neatly folded small rectangle of white paper. With a shrug, she unfolded it and began to read the note within.

Her eyes widened as she read until they could go no wider. What...this...had to be a joke, right?

According to this note, she would be getting a new teacher and transfer student at school.

And these people were named Ikuto Tsukiyomi and Tadase Hotori. Suddenly, she knew for sure last night wasn't a dream and whoever had written to her to inform this was either one of the two of them or someone who was in on it.

Amu flopped back against the couch. Ha. So things were not looking so good.

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Not as long as the last chapter, I'm afraid. But the next chapter should be longer.

Sorry for the long wait, hope you enjoyed :3 This was mostly a plot development chapter.


	3. A Chaotic Saturday

I haven't updated in sooo long D; And I'm very sorry for that. I was having issues with inspiration and generally just was getting too into other things. To be honest, though, it was all just my laziness. I don't know why my inspiration chose now of all times to come flying back but I'm sure glad it is back!

Hope you enjoy this chapter and again, I'm super sorry for the wait.

PS: Vote in my poll if you haven't already~ it's super important that you all do.

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**Seductive Fragrance**

_x-chapter three-x_

A Chaotic Saturday

A joyous way to start off what was _supposed_ to be a peaceful, lovely, _free_ Saturday morning. Yes, that's what it was. _Joyous._

Her morning couldn't have been more opposite.

Amu sighed, throwing nervous glances at the letter she received that had lacked addresses of any kind. Thus, she assumed someone had personally come to her house to deliver it. Which meant cat-man and dog-boy most likely knew where she lived. The thought made a pit form in her stomach, and she shifted on the sofa uncomfortably, still wearing her pajamas; a simple old white t-shirt and long gray sweatpants.

She ran a hand through her hair with a faint sigh, her golden eyes unwillingly flicking over to the letter, which lay open, face up. She could easily see the damn print from here, too. She was positive one didn't receive letters with unmarked envelopes from school. They would be all fancy, with the address and seal and everything.

But no. The letter itself was too suspicious.

She was almost afraid to go change now.

Unfortunately, she needed to go out and return her library book, since it was due today. Not having much of a choice and not wanting to pay late fees, she groaned softly to herself as she dragged her feet up the stairs, almost expecting someone to lunge out of her room and tackle her to the floor. No such thing happened, and she was relieved her fears had been proven untrue. She hoped things would remain as such, since Amu wasn't looking forward to the visitors whom she knew would, at any given moment, and tear her peaceful weekend to shreds.

However, upon stepping out the front door she realized, no, she would not have her desired two days of peace. Of course not. How could she expect something like that to happen?

Cat-man Ikuto Tsukiyomi was standing just outside her front door, an amused smirk upon his handsome visage once he noticed her 'Oh shit' expression.

Well, _what the hell._

"Something you want?" Amu asked casually, turning to close the door and lock it. Though she sounded rather nonchalant, she was feeling quite the opposite.

He chuckled slightly. "There could be."

Deciding ignoring the beast would be her best option, she turned, having been far too distracted to notice his animal appendages were absent. Upon realizing this, she turned slightly, glancing back at the man who was surely following.

As expected he stood a few feet behind her, arching an eyebrow at her pause. She glanced up, then down. No ears, no tail. She could actually even see human ears. Maybe she had imagined the animal parts last night? He seemed like a completely normal human.

"Looks like I'm ahead of the game." He mused to himself, his smirk changing into an unidentifiable expression.

Amu blinked, having no clue what he meant. "Huh?"

He shook his, head, smirk returning as if it had never been absent. "Oh nothing, little mouse."

She had been about to resume walking until she heard his unnecessary comment. "What was that?" Amu had heard it perfectly. Mouse?

He shrugged. "Is it a crime to call you something cute and delicious smelling?"

Without a word, Amu turned. This guy was way too _weird._ Not just weird. She knew weird people. He was far, far beyond weird. The fact that he considered mice to have an excellent aroma was odd enough already.

As she thought he would, he continued to follow behind her, almost completely silent. She had expected him to continue annoying her to come degree but he never did. She blinked in surprise at the thought as they reached the library without any further setbacks. He still kept his distance even after she entered the library, went up to the librarian at the front, and successfully returned her book without incurring any late fees (thankfully).

Just when she exited the library, she bumped face first into another man, who rather smelled...unfortunate, to say the least. He peered down at her, scowling. "Hey girl. Apologize."

Amu bit her lip. "Sorry?"

The man scowled. "That doesn't cut it. You are sort of cute, so go out with me." He smiled sloppily, the effect was repulsive.

Amu frowned. "Can't I um...apologize to you some other way?"

"No."

She shifted from foot to foot, weighing her options until she felt a pair of arms take her from behind. The hold felt way too familiar. Her back was pressed against a solidly muscled chest, and someone's chin was rested on top of her head. His smell, however, was wonderful. She knew all too well what it was, and figured it would be in her best interests not to struggle this time. The man looked taken aback.

"She's mine." Was all he said. She wished she could have seen his expression, for the other man paled and quickly edged by them into the library. Amu let out a quiet sigh of relief upon his exit. Thank goodness.

Then she shifted slightly in Ikuto's hold, wanting to get free but he refused to let her. "Um, hey." She said, twisting and turning a bit.

"Yeah?"

"Let me go?" She asked, glancing at him out of the corners of her eyes since she couldn't turn around fully.

He sighed faintly and released her. She brushed herself off and turned to face him. He was staring off into the distance, running a hand through his midnight hair. His expression was blank and it was clear his mind was elsewhere. However, upon noticing her staring, he smirked and dropped the hand from his hair. "See something you like?"

Amu huffed in response, flushing lightly and turning around immediately, walking quickly in hopes he wouldn't be able to follow or would get the hint not to. And as soon as she reached home, she glanced over her shoulder, only to find that no one was there.

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Cat-man never showed up that day again, and Amu was, surprisingly, able to somewhat enjoy the remainder of her Saturday. She was productive as well, finishing all of her homework and even starting on a project that wasn't due for weeks to come. However, all of this became rather boring after a while. With a sigh, she glanced at the clock, only to find it was already 4 PM.

Amu sighed from her casual position on the couch, staring listlessly at the ceiling. It was times like this she wished her parents were home. They kept things quite interesting.

She wished that Rima and Nagihiko were around, they were definitely entertaining. But they were on a date today and Amu didn't relish the idea of bothering them. So here she was, laying on the couch, seriously lacking in things to do. She almost wished she had more homework just so she would have something to do. And that was just crazy. No normal teenager seriously wished for homework.

But that was how she felt right now. If she didn't find something to do within the next few minutes, she was going to go crazy.

Just then the doorbell rang, causing her to scramble to her feet, immediately alert. She didn't care who it was, even if it was a delivery guy she would strike up some kind of conversation, since she was just that bored.

As soon as she opened the door, though, she immediately regretted such a train of thought.

Cat-man was back. She made to close the door in his face but he stopped her from closing it, frowning.

"Oi, that's not nice, my little mouse." He smirked and slipped inside, catching her off balance and causing her to shut the door behind him. She scowled as he walked in as if he owned the place.

"H-hey, come on, get out! You can't just walk into someone's house like this and...and make yourself comfortable!" He had settled himself on the couch Amu had just been on, arms folded behind his head and looking very comfortable.

"Why? It's nice here and smells like you." With that said, his ears and tail were suddenly there as if they had been there all along.

Amu palmed her forehead. He was much bigger and stronger than her, and obviously wasn't inclined to go anywhere anytime soon. He would do everything at his leisure. In hindsight, this almost made him more like a stray cat than the ears and tail did. But only almost.

"Fine. Stay there." She threw her arms in the air in exasperation and walked away, eyes flicking unwillingly to the letter on the table as she passed. She was then reminded of what he would be.

A teacher. And being a teacher, he was going to put moves on her? Oh shit. That would be a scandal. She turned around, eyes angry and mouth open, ready to give a lecture until she realized he was no longer on the couch, but suddenly in front of her.

"Er, uh, um..." The words died in her through as she slowly, slowly lifted her gaze, heart thudding painfully at the look in his eyes.

She wasn't sure how to even describe it. His eyes seemed so deep and dark suddenly; frightening yet alluring. His ears and tail were out, and his tail flicked from side to side in a very slow, rhythmic motion. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone; whether they were like that beforehand or not, Amu didn't know.

Ikuto said nothing. He only stared, curious, leaning a bit closer and inhaling. The aura he gave off was hardly human, and that was the scary part.

"S-something you w-want?" She asked softly, as if she were speaking to a vicious animal that was let off it's chain and was calm for the moment.

He paused, pulling back slightly as he gazed at her, tilting his head to the side for a moment before sliding his arms around her waist and back, drawing her close. He lowered his face to her hair again, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Her scent was affecting him again. He couldn't remember anything, couldn't think of anything other than the scent that was just rolling off her right now. He didn't know why he had suddenly reverted to how he was the night before. Maybe it was her scent on the couch that did it, and he had let his guard down.

Human thoughts weren't important right now. He just wanted this girl far above and beyond anything he had ever wanted before.

With this final thought, he tilted her head up and crushed his lips to hers. She was warm, so very warm and her scent was going to drive him to madness, certainly. He could feel the girl go totally still but ignored this until he pulled away for the briefest of moments and felt her tremble.

Ikuto pushed himself away, back against the wall and almost entirely himself again. What the hell? What the hell had he just done?

Amu was staring, wide-eyed, face flushed darkly. "What...what the..."

He narrowed his eyes, scowling at the floor before getting up and throwing the door open, dashing off immediately, taking full advantage of the speed and grace offered by his catlike characteristics.

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It was what was supposed to be a friendly chat, but things were quickly going downhill as they always did.

The four heads were gathered together at a table, the couples facing one another. Souko's expression remained pleasant, but no one knew what she was truly thinking. Aruto seemed somewhat pleased, vindictively amused at the looks on the other couple's faces. Yui was attempting to keep things civil but it was clear he was worried and very displeased. His displeasure couldn't be matched by the that of his wife's, who looked absolutely beside herself with 'displeasure'.

"It seems we have an advantage now, do we not?" Aruto, folded his hands and rested his chin on them, totally content.

Souko simply nodded, a small smile about her lips.

Yui sighed impatiently. "Not necessarily, Aruto. Simply because your son is more familiar with the girl means nothing now. It is but the beginning of the game."

Mizue's scowl deepened even further. "It couldn't be that they already know one another? If that is the case then you have an unfair handicap!"

Aruto shook his head slowly, frowning slightly at the accusation. "Of course, this is not so. My son is just as unfamiliar with the girl as yours is."

Mizue looked like she was about to explode with another accusation until Yui put a hand on her shoulder, shooting her a warning glance.

"Aruto, Souko. All we wish for you both is to understand that we still have a chance. If the girl becomes your son's mate successfully, then we shall not dispute your victory. However, you have not yet won, so please do not become complacant."

Souko tilted her head at the two. "Is this the only reason you called us out for?"

Mizue scowled back at Souko. "Obviously, we are to meet each week to discuss the progress of each of our sons."

Souko simply smiled back at Mizue. "Do forgive me. I wasn't informed properly."

Mizue only shot the fair-haired woman a withering look before turning back to glance at her husband. Yui only sighed.

"The true test shall be when school begins on Monday. This girl will not be able to escape either of our sons when she is there."

Aruto nodded, looking seriously at either of them. "Yes. But you will see, our Ikuto will not fail us."

Mizue snorted derisively. "We will see about that worthless black cat of a son of yours."

Souko narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled dangerously. She kept her voice light as she spoke, however.

"Yes, just as we shall see about that crude mongrel of a son you have."

The women stared each other down until Yui cleared his throat, deciding to end things early to prevent a fight. Females were terrifying when they fought one another.

"And with this, our meeting is adjourned."

The two couples wasted no time in leaving.

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Amu hadn't known what to do with herself for the rest of the evening.

She ate a bit of dinner, texted Rima for about an hour or so, and was now heading upstairs to get ready for bed, then hopefully get at least a little bit of sleep.

As soon as she was upstairs, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired, for one thing. And very worried. She pressed her fingertips lightly to her lips as she stared, lost in thought.

What was that about? Ikuto hadn't really seemed like himself. Did it have something to do with the 'mine' thing he went on about? Or the scent? Or was it the cat ears? Amu had the feeling it was all of these things. He had actually seemed upset though, and had gone. She didn't have the nerve to call out to him, and in reality, she still knew little to nothing about him. He was a rather mysterious entity, one that had suddenly appeared in her life and was apparently going to be there for a while.

With a sigh, she splashed her face with water, slowly drying off with a towel. Her mind was elsewhere as she brushed her teeth for what was probably much longer than necessary. However, she quickly combed her hair before heading to her bedroom, completely mentally exhausted.

She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

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Sometime in the middle of the night, there was a sound against her window. A tap? No...perhaps sort of a scratching sound. Her eyes snapped open, heart thudding. Her eyes darted over to her clock, the red digital numbers burning into her irises. _2:12 AM._

The sound repeated itself. She rolled over on her side, facing the window, sitting up and taking a deep, steadying breath.

Amu made for the window, looking out it and almost falling back as she saw who it was. Ikuto. He didn't look terribly happy. She frowned to herself, not wanting to let him in. But something about the look on his face just made her really want to.

Taking her chances, she slid open the window slowly.

"Ikuto, what--" But her sentence was cut off as he stepped in, wrapping his arms around her. She tensed at first, but relaxed soon after. This was different than before, he seemed very much in control of himself now.

His ears and tail were absent now, she noticed.

When he finally pulled away he turned away so she couldn't see his face. "That's all. I'll go now." As he made to leave, she called out to him.

"Ikuto, wait." he half turned to face her, no emotions visible on his face.

She sighed. "About today...what did...that mean?"

He looked away again, silent for a moment as if he was considering the answer. "I don't even know myself. I am sorry for it." He turned to leave again but Amu stopped him, tugging on his sleeve.

"Is that all you came here for? An apology."

"Yes."

She furrowed her eyebrows, staring at his back until she noticed the ripped sleeve, the gash on his shoulder. Her eyes widened. "Ikuto, this is..."

He glanced at the wound. "It's nothing serious."

She shook her head in wonder. "Whether it is or not, you need that taken care of. Come here." She pulled on his sleeve a little harder, but he wouldn't budge. "Come on."

"No, I don't need it. I heal faster than normal people do anyway."

"Still..." She persisted, not releasing him.

He sighed and turned around, closing the window behind him as he stepped in. "Fine."

Amu let out a breath she didn't notice she had been holding as she released his sleeve, leading him down the hall to her bathroom. She was no first-aid expert, but she knew enough. He said he healed fast anyway...

"Okay, let me see."

He sighed, rolling his eyes as he pulled his shirt off up and over his head. Amu winced inwardly at the sight of the wound. If she had gotten something like that she would probably cry.

She cleaned the dried blood from the wound, surprised that it wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. It wasn't bad at all.

"Oh." She said, upon seeing the extent of the damage.

"Told you." He replied, glancing up at her expression.

"Well...at least it's clean now." She said lamely, pulling out a roll of bandages and loosely covering it up.

Once she had finished, she began to put things away. He probably would have been fine without her even bothering, so she probably should have taken his word for it. Oh well.

When she was done putting things away, she turned, but he lightly took her wrist in his hand, startling her as she turned to look at his expression. There was some sort of emotion on his face she couldn't really define, but it made her heart leap just seeing it on his face.

"Thanks." he said simply. She nodded mutely, eyes wide.

He moved his grip from her wrist to her hand, holding it lightly in his own. Amu felt as if she could do nothing more than watch stupidly.

"About before...I am sorry."

"It's um...well it's not fine but it's not a problem anymore...I'm sort of over it...I think."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before lifting it, gently pressing it to his face.

"You really do...smell amazing." He said quietly.

Amu bit her lip and flushed lightly, not sure if she should take what he said as a compliment. It was probably best to just say nothing.

He sighed and released her hand, looking at her for a moment before reaching down where he dropped his shirt and slipping it back on.

"I think...I will fight seriously from here on." He gazed at her intently, as if there were some kind of message he was trying to convey.

"Um...?"

He leaned over her and pressed his lips lightly to her forehead before turning around and heading to leave, glancing back at her one last time before he did so. "You'll see."

And with that, he was gone.

Amu turned off the lights and sank back into bed, trembling lightly. He was so different suddenly...why was that? And what did he mean by what he had said?

It all came back to what him and the dog-boy named Tadase had been talking about the day before. _She's mine._

Whatever it meant, Amu wasn't intending to think it over right now. She climbed back into bed, but unfortunately for her, wasn't able to fall asleep so easily.

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And...whew. This was basically totally not furthering the plot. But Ikuto lurves Amu so he's gonna go for her seriously rather than just toying with her because she smells yummy like a mouse~ lol. XD

There was no Tadase in this chapter. He will be in the next one though XD I don't like writing Tadase so much. This is mainly gonna be an Amuto fic, but it's still Tadamuto so I have to have some Tadase XP

Okay, please review and I'll try to get my next update to you all sooner~!


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